A China Eastern Airlines passenger plane, Boeing 737-800 crashed in Guangxi, China on Monday. It is reported that all 132 people on board have perished.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China stated that flight no. 5735 of China Eastern Airlines had 123 passengers and 9 crew members. It was traveling from Kunming to Guangzhou and crashed in the mountainous region of Teng County, Wuzhou, Guangxi.
Rescue teams reached the crash site immediately, trying to search for survivors. The local fire department also started taking part in rescue operations with its 650 workers.
The fatal crash resulted in a fire in the region which was extinguished by the fire department
China’s state media CCTV showcased videos and pictures from the crash site where the crash site can be seen engulfed in a large smoke cloud rising all the way above the trees.
President of China, Xi Jinping called for “an all-out effort” for the rescue operation of the unfortunate airline.
The aircraft was in use by the airline since 2015, the reason for the crash is still unknown but an investigation has been started.
“We are aware of the initial media reports and are working to gather more information,” Boeing said in a statement.
The Chinese government is expected to investigate the matter on its own. If requested, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board might intervene and provide any kind of help with the support of the Federal Aviation Administration.
“The FAA is aware of reports that a China Eastern Airlines Boeing 737-800 plane crashed this morning in China,” FAA officials said in a statement. “The agency is ready to assist in investigation efforts if asked.”
The plane that crashed is a Boeing 737 MAX. This particular model has been rounded across the globe in 2019 after it went through a series of fatal crashes.
China’s airlines are considered to be the safest across the globe and have more than 100 million safe flight hours. The last domestic crash that took place in China was back in 2010 when a plane crashed in Yichun, Heilongjiang, resulting in the death of 42 people.
